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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title">Fighting flares again in eastern Congo</td>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title"><img src="http://www.newtimes.co.rw/photos/13686-Nkunda.jpg" border="1"><br>
<div class="pic_caption" style="padding-right: 8px;">General Nkunda </div>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_title">BY FELLY KIMENYI</td>
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<td colspan="2" class="lead_body"><p><strong>• Nkunda captures hills near Goma</strong></p> <p>Fierce
fighting between Maj. Gen. Laurent Nkunda and a coalition of the Armed
Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), Democratic Forces
for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) rebel forces and other smaller
militias resumed on Wednesday with the Nkunda forces capturing several
hills surrounding the Goma-Rutchuro road.</p> <p>The renewed fighting
comes days after a ceasefire that followed the capture of Rumangabo
barracks and a meeting between Nkunda and EU special envoy in the
region, Ambassador Van de Geer. </p> <p>The meeting led to CNDP’s withdrawal from the barracks on some conditions. </p> <p>In an interview with the press on Wednesday, Nkunda confirmed the renewed fighting.</p> <p>Sources
on the ground said that the FARDC fighting alongside the FDLR were on
the same day (Wednesday) repulsed at Kikuku and Nyanzale in the general
area of Tongo in the eastern DRC.</p> <p>After the repulsion of the
FARDC forces by the CNDP, President Joseph Kabila, who is said to have
been closely following the fighting, ordered North Kivu Governor Julien
Paluku to announce that all warring groups cease their hostilities and
respect the disengagement plan.</p> <p>The announcement was made both
on Congolese National Radio and Television (RTN) and Radio Okapi which
airs in the eastern part of the country. </p> <p>However, despite the
announcement, sources confirm that an impromptu command meeting that
brought together several high ranking officers within the ranks of
FARDC was called Wednesday night.</p> <p>“The command meeting of the
8th military region was convened in Goma chaired by the Regional
commander Brig. Gen V. Mayala and was attended by some Sector, Brigade
and Battalion commanders,” confirmed a source who was in attendance.</p> <p>According
to the source, this meeting resolved, among other things, to change
military strategies by halting attacks on CNDP forces in Rutchuro in
order to focus on the CNDP Masisi stronghold.</p> <p>“The meeting also
resolved that FDLR units supporting FARDC should not be allowed to mix
with FARDC but instead be given their axes of fighting so as to
minimise possible leakage of information of ongoing collaboration with
government,” said a source who attended the meeting.</p> <p>The FDLR is
a militia force comprising perpetrators of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide and
has been listed as a negative force by the tripartite plus joint
commission, a regional security platform.</p> <p>When contacted to
confirm the details of the meeting, Col. Delphin Kahimbi, who is in
charge of operations of the 8th military region, said that he could not
speak since he was in a meeting.</p> <p>“I am not free to talk now because I am in a meeting,” Kahimbi who attended the command meeting said.</p> <p>Also
efforts to contact both Chikez Diemu, the DRC Minister of Defence and
Col. Jonas Padiri, the 82nd Brigade Commander, were futile as their
phones were switched off.</p> <p>Padiri was also reportedly in this meeting.</p> <p>Our
sources further confirm that yesterday morning, a combined force of
FARDC and FDLR attacked CNDP in the areas of Mweso and Gashuga and the
battle was reportedly still raging by press time.</p> <p>The fighting
was going on in different parts of the eastern Congo but casualty
figures on both sides were not readily available by press time.</p> <p>After
last week’s meeting between Nkunda and Ambassador Van de Geer, the
former had requested for talks with Kabila in a neutral country, a
suggestion to which Kabila has apparently been adamant to heed.</p> <p>Fighting
between Laurent Nkunda’s CNDP and a coalition of government forces,
Rwandan rebels of the FDLR and other smaller militias erupted in August
for the first time following the signing of a ceasefire agreement
between the warring parties in January this year.</p> <p><strong>Ends</strong></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></table><br>__________________________________________________<br>Do You Yahoo!?<br>En finir avec le spam? Yahoo! Mail vous offre la meilleure protection possible contre les messages non sollicités <br>http://mail.yahoo.fr Yahoo! Mail